Guinta in Denial About 2012 loss: “[Voter fraud] happened all throughout our state”

Concord, NH – Former Congressman Frank Guinta has a new excuse for his loss in the 2012 election: he was ousted not because of his terrible far-right voting record, but because of voter fraud. In recent interviews and speeches, Guinta has espoused the baseless Tea Party talking points that voter fraud led to Republican losses, including his own, in the 2012 election.

Last Wednesday, in an interview with WRKO’s Howie Carr, Guinta admitted that he will try to stop New Hampshire residents from voting in 2014, and that his top targets will be young people, who are opposed to his Tea Party politics.

HOWIE CARR: “Every place there’s a college, there should be lawyers everywhere.”GUINTA: “We will make sure that happens.”

“Frank Guinta’s secret plan to stop New Hampshire’s young adults from voting is straight out of his dirty-trick playbook, and shows blatant disregard for New Hampshire citizens and their right to vote,” said Julie McClain, Communications Director for the New Hampshire Democratic Party. “Before Frank Guinta and the NHGOP take their secret plan any further, they should tell Granite Staters exactly what makes them think voter fraud is a problem in New Hampshire, given that there have been only 20 documented instances from 2000-2012, one of which was Republican Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley’s son.”

In a speech two weeks ago, Frank Guinta claimed that voter fraud was “going on everywhere.”

GUINTA: “We had 100,000 same day registrants in our state in 2012. 10,000 here in Manchester. Where I voted, in Ward 1, Joe Biden’s niece voted…that happened all throughout our state. And not just places like Manchester or Concord or Nashua. It happened in Rye. It happened in Epping. It happened in Epsom. It happened up in Carroll County. It was going on everywhere!”

Same-day registration is legal in New Hampshire.

“Every U.S citizen, 18 or older, who lives in New Hampshire has a right to vote here,” McClain added. “Republicans’ determination to stop fair elections and impede certain groups from voting weakens the state. Democrats continue to believe that New Hampshire is stronger when all Granite Staters participate in our democracy.”

Even Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has said that the GOP’s push for tough voter ID and related laws is “offending” minorities and that the party shouldn’t “go too crazy” on the matter [Politico, 5/9/14].

BACKGROUND

GUINTA GUARENTEES THERE WILL BE LAWYERS EVERYWHERE ON ELECTION DAY

HOWIE CARR: “It’s like beating our heads against a wall. We always talk about it. I really hope you guys are mobilized. And I hope you have every precinct covered. And I’m not just talking about the border towns either. You oughta have ever place – you know, like in Plymouth, where they have the – every place there’s a college, there should be lawyers everywhere

GUINTA RAILS AGAINST LEGAL SAME DAY VOTER REGISTRATIONGUINTA: “We had 100,000 same day registrants in our state in 2012. 10,000 here in Manchester. Where I voted, in Ward 1, Joe Biden’s niece voted…that happened all throughout our state. And not just places like Manchester or Concord or Nashua. It happened in Rye. It happened in Epping. It happened in Epsom. It happened up in Carroll County. It was going on everywhere!” [Manchester GOP Candidate Forum, 5/10/14]